transmission of anaplasma marginale by boophilus microplus: retention of vector competence in the absence of vector-pathogen interaction. | whether arthropod vectors retain competence for transmission of infectious agents in the long-term absence of vector-pathogen interaction is unknown. we addressed this question by quantifying the vector competence of two tick vectors, with mutually exclusive tropical- versus temperate-region distributions, for genetically distinct tropical- and temperate-region strains of the cattle pathogen anaplasma marginale. the tropical cattle tick boophilus microplus, which has been eradicated from the con ... | 2003 | 12904396 |